Refrigerated shipping and/or storing vessel



Dec. 28, 1937. w. KLINE ET Al. v

REFRIGERATEDSHIPPING AND/OR STORING VESSEL Filed Feb. 9. 1935 2 sheets-snet 1 2. Sheets-Sheet 2 w. KLINE ET Al. RERIGERATED'SHIPPING AND/OR STORING VESSEL Filed Feb'. 9, 1955 Dec. 28, 1937.

Patented 278, 1937 UNITED STATES nEFarGEnATEn SHIPPING .AND/on s'ron- A ,ma Vassar.

walter mine, Wellington, ma Wiliam A. nm-

baker, Akron, Ohio; said Kline assigner to Ethel H. Morrison, Wellington, Ohio Application February 9, 1935, Serial No. 5,810

1 Claim. The present invention relates in general to shipping and/or storing vessels and has particular reference to a spaced wall vessel of this type which is equipped with means for refrigerating the contents of the vessel.

The primary object of the invention is 'to provide a vessel of the character describedfor use in shipping and/or storing liquids or solids, which require refrigeration vto maintain, either their natural inherent qualities, or to preserve them after processing or other artificial treatments.

A further object of the invention is to provide a vessel of the class described in which the contents may be not only properly refrigerated but maintained under the most strict sanitary conditions so that in the case of edible solids or liquids they may be offered tothe consumer in ar perfectly fresh and otherwise excellent bondition with their avor and other qualities unimpaireq.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a vessel as above described which may be emptied of its contents at any one time or else the contents may be dispensed in small quantities Aover a period oi' time without effecting the quality f the remaining portion or the refrigerating advantages of the vessel.

- Still another object is to provide a portable vessel having the advantages' above pointed out which will be rugged and durable in construction so as to be capable of withstanding the abuse to which it is expected it will be subjected in transportation and other handling. l

While a vessel embodying the salient features of the present invention has a wide range of use some forms of the same are especially adapted for the brewery trade where it takes the place of thev conventional beer keg or barrel. In this connection another and more speciilc object of the invention is to provide a substitute for beer kegs or barrels which oiier the added advantages of a` self contained cooler and portable dispenser. With this'sort of equipment the vessels may be iilled at thel brewery and stored in the cooling l room awaiting shipment or delivery. When ready for shipment vor delivery the refrigerant nay be introduced, thus the temperature of the :ooied beer may be maintained until its arrival it its destination and thereafter further mainzained by renewing the refrigerant, if and, vat :uch times as it is necessary. i'

By providing each vessel with the proper disensing equipment, or else by providing the same vith accommodations' lfor attaching such dislensing equipment each vessel thus serves not only as a portable shipping container but upon being delivered to the customer'it becomes a self contained cooler and dispenser. It is of course seen that the customer can renew the refrigerant whenoccasion demands. With a vessel of this type it can be also seen that the customary cooling coils may be done away with when desired.

For the purpose of explaining some of the possibilitie's of a vessel constructed in accordance with the invention, we are showing several illustrative forms in the accompanying drawings. Obviously those skilled in the art may make various Achanges in the construction oi these forms without departing from the spirit and -scope of .the invention as dened bythe appended claim and we therefore do not wish to be limitedto the precise construction thus illustrated and hereafter more specifically described.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation and partly in section of one form of the vessel.

Fig. 2' is a view in section of a modied type at least so far as the refrigerating medium is concerned; and

Fig. 3 isa detail view in section showing a modied type of adapter for the dispensing equipment.

Referring now to the drawings in detail E represents an outer metallic shell or drum. This drum is preferably fashioned from relatively heavy galvanized iron so as to serve as a rugged protective shell for the inner container 6 which is housed Within the drum and supported in spaced relation thereto by means of the continuous tubular rubber or other equivalent resilient supports l and 8.' The lower spacing support 'l encircles the periphery of the bottom of the container 6 and is held in place by being embraced on one side by acontinuous circular seat formed as at 9 in the side wall of the drum and com- Hpleted by a similar kind of depression formedl as at I0 in the bottom i l of the drum. The opposed side of the support 8 is seated in a depression I2 formed on the'outside of the inner container.

'I'he upper spacing support 8 is likewise conilned in companion seats I3. and N formed in the drum and'inner container respectively.

'I'he inner container is thus resiliently sup.

, ported by shock absorbing spacers which not only serve as an added protective measure for the inner container but also provide for a space between the walls of the drum and container.A This space has some insulating value which is desirable.

It should be mentioned at this time that the circular` seats 9 and I3 formed in the drum for spacers 1 and 8 can be likened to corrugations which fortify the structure oi the drum, however to further strengthen the drum structure other corrugations are formed as at I5 and I6. The bottom of the drum is constructed as a separately formed disc and the outer edge of the same beyond the seat IIJ is turned down as at I1 where it meets and impinges the footing I8 of the outer wall. The joined ends are then curled around the core or insert I9 to leave a circular offset 2li which does very well as a supporting base for the vessel. By making the depending footings I1 and I3 of suficient depth the supporting base 20 .is located in a plane lower than the center area 2I of the bottom of the drum so that the bottom does not contact or at least rest upon, the iioor or other surface upon-which the vessel is setting.

The upper end of the drum, above the spacing support 8, is curled upon itself to leave a reinforcing bead or rim 22 around the open end of the drum. The open end of the drum, just mentioned is closed by a lid 23 which fits within the opening of the drum and has an outwardly offset curled bead 24 which rests upon the rim 22 and limits the extent'to which the lid is inserted Within the opening. This bead 24 also serves as a convenient hand hold for removing I and inserting the lid.

The inner container 6 is preferably molded or otherwise formed from some material selected for its non-corrosive qualities such as ceramics or the like. In lieu of this material some other material may be used to serve the same purpose provided it has these qualities or is lined coated or otherwise treated to have the same sanitary and non-corrosive properties. Aside from these requirements the material selected should, when possible have a low heat conductivity so as to ald in heat insulating the refrigerating medium and the contents of the inner container.

Taking into account the above noted requirements as well as the dictates of production we prefer to use ceramics. Y

As will be seen in Figs. 1 and 2 this inner container has a side wall 25 which parallels the side wall of the drum for substantially the height of the drum and its upper open end terminates in an increased circular thickness as at 26 around the spacing support 3; Not quite midway between the bottom 21 and the top the container is formed with an integral bell-like dome 23 which branches abruptly inwardly in offset relation to the side wallA and thus forming with the lower portion of the side wall a bottle shaped container. The irregular shape of the bell-like dome 28 leaves inwardly and outwardly projecting knees 29 and 30 respectively, which encircle the Vdome and change the dimension of the refrigerant compartment 3l. This compartment 3l in Fig. 1 is made to hold wet ice indicated in part by the reference letter I. The shoulders 29 and 30 are formed so as to lend depth to the ice compartment without sacrificing too much vof the holding space within the container as well as to avoid a steep slant on the dome.

,The lling and dispensing opening into the container is fashioned by a short thick neck 32.

In Fig. 1 we have shown one type of dispensing equipment which may be used with the vessel and in Fig. 3 we have shown another type. 'I'he type shown in Fig. l includes a rubber gasket 33 which is-ilared to coincide with the inward are of the throat. A iiange 34 on the gasket overlies the top of the neck and iitted within the gasket is a metal sleeve 36 having a ared skirt 36. The outwardly projecting end of the sleeve is threaded to receive the wing nut 31. Inserted between the nut and gasket is a metal washer 33. It now follows, by turning the wing nut down the flared skirt 3B on the sleeve will spread the gasket in the throat at the same time the nut is imparting an inward thrust on the gasket. As a result of this the fitting is tightly wedged in the throat and makes an air and liquid tight closure.

The upstanding end of the sleeve is reduced in diameter to provide a collar 39 which is equipped with internal threads to receive the externally threaded end 40 of the valve housing 4|. The plug valve 42 may be turned to open or close the passage through the dispensing pipe 43 which is connected to the valve housing by the union 44. Communicating with the passage in the opposite end of the valve housing is a plated intake dispensing pipe 45 which extends through the sleeve 35 and into the container where its intake end terminates just above the bottom of the container.

An air line 46 enters the side of the collar 39 through a Schrader valve assembly 41 to which it is connected by the unie-n 118. On the opposed side of the collar is a ball check valve assembly 49 which serves as a safety relief-for an excess of air supplied the container through the airline.

This dispensing equipment can be used as folconsumer or customer need do is connect upl his air line 46 and dispensing pipe 43. open the plug valve 42 and the equipment is in operation.

A cover or cap 50 m'ay be used to cover the opening in the lid 23 which is'made to admit the upstanding parts of the dispensing equipment.

In Fig. 3 the dispensing equipment has been modified to the extent that the parts supplied with the vessel become only an adapter arranged to accommodate the custnmers own dispensing apparatus. 'I'he gasket 33 sleeve 35 and wing nut 31 are substantially the same. The sleeve. however, at the end of the threads has a center opening as at 5I over which is secured a bung or stopper carrier 52. When it is desired to connect the dispensing equipment the bung or stopper is extracted and the ordinary standard dispensing apparatus is applied.

As previously described 'the compartment 3i which is'fdeilned by the side wall 25 and the upper part of the container is adapted to contain wet ice (Fig. l).

In Fig. 2 we show a scheme for substituting dry ice solidified carbon dioxide, CO2 as a refrigerating medium.

To adapt the vessel for this purpose the neck 32 is grooved or recessed as at 53 to receive a spring steel wire support 54 for the CO: receptacle 5S. 'I'his receptacle may be made in any way suitable for the purpose. As shown it comprises a can shaped device which is encircled by the wire support 54. It is important that the CO2 can is supported entirely out of contact with the inner container. In other words it is supported in the space defined by the side wall 25 and the container.

The CO2 can is made with a threaded cover 56 which has a plurality of perforations 51 which serve to release the CO2 gas into the refrigerating space. It is this gas that provides the necessary 'Ihe handling and use of the CO3 type of vessel.

:an be carried out in the same manner as ex- )lained with reference to the wet ice type.y The :onstruction of the two vessels can be the same. is a matter of fact by grooving the throat of all f the containers so as to adapt them to receive `he wire support 5l any one vessel can then be lsed for wet ice or C02 as and when desired.

We claim:

ment.

dome Joining the side of the container intermediate the top and the bottom of the same and deflected inwardly o f the side of the container to provide a refrigerating compartment below the level of the top of the container, said dome having a filling opening in the top thereof and means for supporting a refrigerating medium in the refrigerating compartment out of contactwith the container, comprising a supporting arm secured to and extending laterally from the dome of the container and a holder for solidied carbon dioxide supported by said arm, said holder having a removable cover for iilling the holder and said cover having perforations for releasing the carbon Idioxide gas' into the refrigeratingcompart- WALTER kann. WIrmAM A. BRUBAKER. 

